My God Will Supply All You Need

My God will supply all you need from His glorious resources in Christ Jesus. And may glory be to our God and our Father forever and ever…The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Philippians 4:19-20,23

The last few lines of Paul’s letter are of a very personal nature as he speaks specifically to the little congregation at Philippi. He commends them for their care and concern for his welfare and for their early support of his ministry. Their gifts, he says are pleasing to the heart of God, like a lovely fragrance. And, knowing their concern for his safety, he explains that he is content, that his joy is not dependent upon his circumstances. He can live in prosperity and in poverty, when he is hungry or when he is eating well. This reminder speaks to us today.

Even as Christians, we often measure our joy by the blessings God has given us rather than the presence of the One from Whom all blessings flow. Perhaps Paul could have said “ My God has supplied all you need.” He knew he was ready for anything because of the strength of the One who lived within him. The power of the indwelling of God’s Spirit was his strength, his righteousness and his peace. It is because of Christ Jesus - the mediator, the Son, the rightful heir accepting the adopted, the deliverer of our invitation to stand boldly in the presence of God – because of Him that we begin to understand the power of God’s joy and God’s peace. Problems that attacked the Christians at Philippi may be different in cause from those faced by the church of today but their impact is the same - fear, anxiety, indecision and doubt. But, like Paul, we can be ready for anything. We have been given the strength we need to overcome adversity, the grace to serve in harmony and the peace that will see us through in difficulty and in prosperity.

Paul wrote to the Corinthians “We are hard-pressed on all sides, but we are never frustrated; we are puzzled but never in despair; we are persecuted but never deserted; we may be knocked down but we are never knocked out…This is the reason why we never lose heart.”

Thought Questions

1. What are ways that we can remind ourselves not to be dependent on our circumstances?

2. In the last line of the letter to the Philippians, Paul implies the need for harmony as he prays that the grace of Jesus be evident in their spirit. How do we promote harmony within the church when so many minor issues can cause distress and division?